Francis Tsawayo A lot of us enjoy the world we live in, so much that we would not trade it for anything. It could be a built-in mechanism that under life threatening situations, we would hold on for dear life. The question is what specifically motivates one to cling on to dear life. Some may say they live and die for their families, others for their children, especially single parents and then there is the famous saying “till death do us part”, a confession of undying love. These are some of the situations we come across in life, but have we taken time to look at the world we are creating and are living in? The world we live in is very dynamic and flexible, what is it offering that gives one reason to hold on dearly? Let’s start with the pros of this world. I guess television is the greatest thing to become of man. Millions of people would agree, especially after the world cup coverage. “I wait four years for this opportunity and you want to watch a soapy that is on every day.” A statement that was rocking many homes across the world during the showdown. Some people live for soccer. During the one-month tournament, one did not need to eavesdrop as people spoke freely especially in taxis. The most interesting conversation I heard was of two women. One of them was telling the other about her newfound joy with the sport. Her enthusiasm with soccer actually surprised me for a minute. As the trip went on, I got to the reason of her enthusiasm and no, it was not a bunch of young millionaires in shorts chasing after a ball and arguing over a throw in. The reason behind the lady’s joy was that her children got to see their father and spend time with him. Ever since the tournament began, he came home early every day because normally he would come after hours as he spent most of his time at the waterhole. Though I was puzzled by the revelation, it also got me thinking about male companionship and the favourite waterhole as one reason for holding on. On many other occasions, I have come across these issues and so have you. While some people are narcissists and their life revolves round the way they look and dress, others find something to cherish. This reminds me of one encounter with a typical man and his car. I asked after his well-being at our first meeting and he responded: “My car is a beautiful specimen isn’t it?” For a second there, I thought this man must live in his car but what I realised was the man’s love for his car was greater than that he has for his fellow man. The conversation would drift to his car for no apparent reason and at the back of my mind, I wondered what would happen if the car alarm would go off when he slept. So many of these small events happen all the time but usually we ignore them. In the same way a man or woman can love a car, some people love their jobs more than anything. For yet others, it’s that cup of coffee in the morning – be careful I have heard them talk about how they would kill for a cup. Let’s make a reality check in our everyday life and see what are these spices of life that make it more interesting to hold on to.